


goretober 2k16

by stolashoots



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! ARC-V, Yu-Gi-Oh! Zexal
Genre: Eye Trauma, Gore, Torture, panda hero au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-02
Updated: 2016-11-29
Packaged: 2018-08-19 00:23:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 11,767
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8181692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stolashoots/pseuds/stolashoots
Summary: Goretober 2k16 fics, featuring Kaito and Hato trying to survive in a destroyed Heartland.





	1. Excessive Gashes/Lacerations

“You’re bleeding,” Hato says, reaching out to touch Kaito’s back, only to retract his hand when Kaito flinches and pulls away.

“It’s nothing.” Kaito doesn’t turn to look at Hato. He bends over, unlaces his boots, and slips them off. They’re caked with mud and grime and will need to be rinsed off before Kaito enters the living quarters with them on.

“It doesn’t look like nothing to me.” Hato has learned the difference between dried bloodstains and wet bloodstains over the months he’s been living with Kaito, and Hato can tell that the back of Kaito’s coat is soaked. Even with the already dark coloring, Hato can see a red slash down the middle. “Take off your coat, let me wash it before the blood dries.” Hato has already prepared a small basin of undrinkable water for Kaito’s return. Clothes in good condition are difficult to come by so what they do have is washed regularly, and the children would worry if they saw Kaito covered in blood.

Kaito climbs to his feet and scowls at Hato, but there’s no real anger in his expression. He shrugs off his coat and shoves it into Hato’s waiting arms. Without the coat to cover his back, Hato can now see the clean rip in Kaito’s shirt, and the gash underneath it.

“Kaito, you’re injured.” Hato sets the coat to the side, deciding this is more pressing than scrubbing out a bit of blood.

“It’s already stopped bleeding, don’t worry about it.” Kaito’s face hold his usual bland expression, not giving away any of the pain he must be experiencing. “I’ll deal with it later.”

It’s easy for Hato to prevent himself from rolling his eyes, signs of disrespect were not tolerated at his old home. He still can’t stop the wave of exasperation to hit him; Kaito has been living in this wasteland for most of his life, he should know by now the risks involved with leaving a wound open.

“How are you going to stitch it up when it’s in the middle of your back?” Hato asks, knowing he’s going to have to push before Kaito lets him help. He doesn’t like doing this, all of his training has taught him to be respectful of his superior’s wishes and be obedient to them, but Hato won’t allow Kaito’s stubbornness get him killed.

Kaito doesn’t bother trying to explain himself, so Hato continues. “What are the children going to think when they see that? I thought you wanted to keep them away from the violence, not let them see what it’s doing to you.” Kaito’s shoulders slump at that, no doubt thinking of how Haruto would react if he saw his big brother injured. Hato knows using the kids against Kaito is a low blow, Kaito would do anything for their sake, but he won’t be able to keep them safe if he gets an infection and is in too much pain to move.

“Kaito, please,” Hato says, trying another tactic. “Let me help you. You told me you trusted me, now let me prove to you that I can help.” Hato detests using Kaito’s emotions against him, he feels vile saying this, but it’s all worth it when Kaito sighs and nods.

“Fine Hato. Stitch me up.”

They move to one of the side rooms, out of the way where the children won’t see them. Kaito carefully removes his shirt, it can be fixed later, and makes himself comfortable lying on the ground while Hato goes to gather the medical supplies and clean water to flush out the wound.

Hato uses a wet rag to clear away some of the clotted and dried blood so he can take a better look at it. The cut isn’t deep or wide, but it’s long, stretching from between Kaito’s shoulders down to near his hip. Hato knows it came from a knife or something similar, and the blade wasn’t sharp because it left a jagged slash.

They don’t own any disinfectant cream, so Hato can only flush it with water the best he can before starting on the stitches. The needle is kept in a plastic bag, having already been placed in boiling water to kill off any bacteria, and the thread is in small ball. It’s actual cloth thread, not like the surgical thread Hato is familiar with. Academia could afford the best medical equipment for its students; Kaito and Hato struggle to even find acceptable alternatives.

The cloth thread will work just fine, though Hato will make sure to take the string out as soon as possible. It’s not what he would prefer to use, but he doesn’t have any other options.

Hato begins at the top of the cut, carefully piercing the skin close to the cut and then connecting it with the other side. He zig-zags down the wound, closing what he can. Kaito doesn’t make a sound or complain when Hato stabs too deeply in with the needle or tugs too hard on the thread. Hato doesn’t ask if Kaito can even feel his back, or if the pain is too overwhelming. They don’t have any pain relievers; pills were immediately traded for more important supplies, and if they did keep any around, the medicine would only be used for the children.

It doesn’t take long for Hato to finish the stitches, he’s had practice and the cut is mostly straight. He goes to find a clean shirt for Kaito to wear while Kaito rinses off any blood Hato missed with the rag.

“You did a good job,” says Kaito when Hato returns. It’s not a thank you, but it is praise, and Hato can feel warmth bubbling up and spreading inside him.

“No problem, Kaito.” Hato is delighted he was able to help Kaito, and the feeling of happiness stays with him even as he goes to scrub the blood out of Kaito’s coat and mends Kaitos’ torn shirt.


	2. Primordial Fear

He’s alone, yet he knows that isn’t true. The darkness isn’t real; it’s just his eyes refusing to cooperate. Kaito tells himself that he doesn’t have to be afraid. After all, stars shine the brightest in the inky black. Kaito thinks that if he repeats this enough, maybe he’ll actually begin to believe it and then it won’t be so frightening.

But the darkness it haunting. It hides both allies and enemies, and without his sight, it’s impossible to tell which is which anymore. Kaito can only rely on himself, but is that even possible when he’s blind and in the middle of a war zone?

The hairs on the back of his neck prickle up. He’s being watched; not good. Kaito tightens his grip on his bat and strains his ears for movement. If someone thinks they can sneak up on him, they’re dead wrong. He doesn’t need his eyes when he’s got instincts and years of experience.

He hears a noise to his left and it takes all of his willpower to not turn to it. Giving away that he knows where they are will make their confidence waver, and then they might change their plan. All he can do for now is wait and hope he’s able to act in time.

They’re moving in closer, and Kaito forces himself to relax and listen to the sound of gravel shifting ever so slightly. The waiting is agonizing, and not for the first time he wishes his eyes aren’t damaged so he could take them out immediately. That’s not an option, however, so Kaito grinds his teeth and stares into the nothingness that is his world now.

When he can hear the sound of fabric ruffling against each other, Kaito knows it’s time. The person is to his left; they must have known he couldn’t see since they didn’t try directly behind him. Kaito tenses and then strikes.

It takes only two hits to knock them down, one at the ribs so Kaito can judge how tall the person is, and then the next is at the head. His aim ends up being too short, and instead of his bat slamming into a skull and shattering it, he hits what he suspects is the neck. There’s a crack as the person’s spine breaks from the impact, and a thud as they fall to the ground.

“Kaito? Is that you?” Kaito jumps and spins at the sound of Kisei’s voice and footsteps. “What are you - oh.” The footsteps stop. “You’d expect them to learn by now that nothing gets passed you.” Kisei sighs. “I think she’s still alive. You want to leave her like that or do something about it?”

There’s a gurgle from the ground. Kaito guesses that she’s bleeding into her lungs. “Is she Fusion?”

“From the looks of things, yeah.”

“She’ll be dead soon anyway.” Kaito holds out his elbow and Kisei scrambles to get close enough to take it.

“Hey, maybe the dogs will smell her out before that happens. That’d be fun to watch.” Kisei pulls Kaito forward and Kaito follows, knowing that Kisei can be trusted to take him back to headquarters.


	3. Surgery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uhh this is more detailed than the previous ones

“Do you ever think of just how disgusting you are?” Yuri says, his voice light, but Kaito knows he’s serious. Kaito can’t see what he’s up to, but there’s a splash of running water and the snap of surgical gloves.

“Well? Not in a talking mood? That’s fine; Hato will soon squeal all of your secrets anyway. He’s such a good pet. I can trust him to tell the truth. He knows what happens to those who disobey.” Yuri steps into view and slides a surgical mask over his mouth and nose. His eyes glitter behind safety goggles.

Kaito wants to curse at him, but all he can do is bite down on the gag and hope he gets the idea.

“Ah… How I’d love to rip your tongue out first so you’ll never be able to spit out filth and lead another one of my toys astray, but it’s too early for such a thing.” Yuri caresses Kaito’s cheek. “One day I’ll break you and you’ll beg me to keep going. But for now… I think I’ll take away something you won’t be needing.”

Kaito can’t imagine what Yuri is talking about, but he knows it can’t be any good. He can remember all of the horror stories Hato whispered to him in the dead of the night after waking up from nightmares. Yuri is just about the worst soldier Kaito could have been captured by. He knows this isn’t going to end well.

“Oh? Would you like to know what we’re going to be doing today?” No. “Well, a little dove –“ Yuri winks and Kaito snarls– “told me that your eyesight is fading… If that’s the case, then I thought I’d see what I could do to help. To show to you what a wonderful man I am.”

Kaito doesn’t buy Yuri’s innocent smile or the fact that Hato snitched out his weakness. Hato would never betray him like that; Hato was family and will do all that he can to protect Kaito and the children.

“No point in playing around. Let’s begin.” Yuri first checks the restraints. If they had been loose before, Kaito would have broken out, but now they bite into his skin even without him fighting them. The one around his neck is especially painful, and he has to keep himself calm to prevent himself from yanking forward and choking.

Yuri steps behind Kaito out of sight, but he can feel Yuri’s hand threading through his hair and tugging. It doesn’t hurt any more than anything else, but it sends a spike of fear rushing through Kaito. He can’t move his head at all because of the two boards on either side of his face holding him still. All he can do is gnaw into the gag and listen as Yuri hums what sounds like a patriotic song.

Yuri lets go of his face to poke the area around his eye. Then he pulls back Kaito’s eyelid and tapes it down. Kaito’s mind is too hectic to understand what’s going on, but everything clicks as Yuri tapes down the bottom eyelid. Kaito tightens his jaw. There’s no way to escape this. He’s going to have to take what Yuri will give. Kaito swears to himself he won’t make a noise, won’t let Yuri enjoy this.

“Ready?” Yuri sings. “One, two, three, here we go!” Yuri jabs his thumb into Kaito’s eye. The pain blinding – or is that the damage being done? He automatically struggles to close his eye but he can’t because they’re taped open. Kaito is too horrified to look away with his other one, to stop watching Yuri’s euphoric expressions and his arm wiggling back and forth.

Kaito can’t help it. He screams, trying to shake Yuri away, but he can’t move and his voice is muffled. Even through the pain, he can feel Yuri’s thumb moving inside his eye socket and the blood pooling down in it and rippling across his face.

“What was that? Are you enjoying this? Here, let me show you a better look.” Yuri pulls his thumb out and the emptiness is somehow worse than having it in. Even with the restraints, Kaito is shaking. He can feel sobs building up in his throat and he can’t tell if those are tears or blood tickling his ears. He doesn’t have to wonder for long.

Yuri returns and holds up a mirror. Kaito squints at it, not recognizing what he’s looking at. He doesn’t recognize himself with the dirty, blood matted hair or the gouged out eye. He’s baring his teeth around the gag, his good eye wide open and wild. He looks exactly as Fusion sees him as. A worthless rebel meant to be put down.

“I think it’s quite a good look for you.” Yuri reaches out again and slides his finger into Kaito’s eye, this time his index finger. Kaito watches in horror through the mirror as Yuri pushes in deeper and deeper until he hits pure muscle. Even with the pain, Kaito can feel his finger gently stroking it and exploring the rest of the cavern.

“Hmm, I wanted to show you what your eye looks like, but it seems I got a bit over excited and made a mess.” Yuri swirls his finger in the bloody slop that was once Kaito’s eye. “Too bad…” Yuri sighs and pulls out again, moving the mirror away.

Kaito hears the slap of gloves being pulled off and more of Yuri’s humming. Yuri’s heels click on the tile floor as he walks away. A door opens, then closes.

The pain is worse than anything Kaito has ever experienced before, and there’s nothing he can do to stop it. His eye is ruined, and this is just the beginning. Yuri will stop at nothing until he’s extracted every bit of pain he can out of Kaito’s body.

The door opens again with a cheerful, “Look, I’ve brought you a visitor,” and a startled gasp of, “No… please, no,” from a familiar voice.

Kaito closes his good eye as shaking fingers grip into his shirt and sobs fill the air.

He wishes he had done as Hato told him and killed himself before he was captured.

**[bad end]**


	4. Torture

  1. **Torture**



“I love you,” Kaito says and Hato’s heart flutters. It’s almost enough for him to ignore the pain. Maybe Hato can make himself believe it. But no, they both know it’s just another lie meant to ensnare Hato, to keep him from running back to Academia and safety.

But Hato has learned that “safety” doesn’t truly exist. Academia was his home, the place meant to protect him, and yet he was isolated and neglected. The rebels in Heartland were supposed to be forgiving and accepting, and yet here he is, standing in front of the soldier.

Rope is too precious to waste, Kaito had explained earlier, so she is tied down with a thick, rusted chain wrapped around her arms and legs, attaching them to the seat’s arms and legs. As she struggles, it digs deep into her skin and thin rivers of blood trail down her tanned skin.

They haven’t even done anything to her yet, and yet already she fights her bindings, her eyes wide and wild. Her teeth gnaw into her gag, and she lets out the occasional noise of fear. It’s not a pretty sight. Her eyes first concentrated on Kaito; despite his small stature, he is the obvious threat. And then they flicked over to Hato and widened in recognition.

He feels as though he’s the one in the chair, not the other way around. He can’t still his hands from shaking, and he shoves them into his pockets and rub his fingers against his worry stone. It doesn’t help, not when the Fusion soldier makes a pleading groan and digs her nails into the wooden arm rest.

Hato can’t help her any more than he can help himself. He has to do what Kaito wants otherwise Hato will be the one in the chair or worse. Hato cannot allow that to happen. He must survive this.

Kaito hands him a knife. It’s small, the blade only about the length of his index finger, and well taken care of. Hato can’t see any visible nicks in it and it isn’t rusted like everything else in Heartland.

“Hato,” Kaito says in a warning tone and Hato figures he’s spent too long studying the knife in hopes of Kaito forgetting what they’re here for. “If you don’t do your job, then you won’t be fed.” Kaito’s eyes are cold and calculating and they remind him of his old teachers’ eyes. Those are eyes that would strike a child down for sneezing in class.

“Hato,” Kaito tries again, sighing and relaxing his stiff posture as if to appear more open and inviting. “She’s a Fusion soldier. You know she won’t talk unless we use force, and we need the information.”

It’s true. Hato himself has been trained to keep his mouth shut, even at the threat of death, and since it’s been months since he left Academia, many of the things he knows are outdated and of no use to the rebels. With the knowledge this soldier has, they could learn any scheduled sweeps or major changes inside the social system. It could save lives.

He gulps, then raises the knife. “This is your last chance. Agree to cooperate, or we’ll have no chance but to force you to talk.” Despite his internal conflict and rapid heartbeat, his voice is calm.

Even with her obvious fear, she narrows her eyes and shakes her head. Hato mentally applauds her courage. He wishes he was made out of the same stuff as her. Alas; Hato is a cowardly dove, ruled by fear and too weak-willed to defend himself from those who are stronger than him.

Hato buries the blade into her thigh, and she screeches through the gag. Kaito makes a disapproving noise but says nothing; Hato didn’t hit any major arteries so she won’t be bleeding out any time soon. That means they still had plenty of time to interrogate her.

When the knife is pulled out, blood pulses from the wound and races down her legs. It’s thick and black and audibly _drips_ to the concrete floor. Hato had hoped that showing he is willing to use force would loosen her tongue, but the soldier grits her teeth and makes no attempt at communication. Kaito hovers behind Hato like a hawk, his critical eyes following every movement.

Hato gulps, suddenly missing Academia’s carding method. In some ways, it’d be much more humane than this. He wonders how old she is. Younger than Hato’s 16 years, but surely older 14. She’s too young to be suffering in such a way; she’s supposed to be idealistic and cheerful like all children are, not a trained soldier resisting torture. She’s just a girl.

He slides the blade down her arm, flaying a lengthy portion of skin, and then does the same again down a different area. Two slices of skin fall to the floor. They look more like bloody lunch meat than something that came from a human body.

Already he’s beginning to run out of ideas. The teachers didn’t teach ways to slowly kill at Academia; soldiers rarely had the time to do such a thing. Interrogation tactics were sometimes taught, but only to students who wanted to go into that field of study.

 _What would Yuri do? What would Yuri do?_ Hato repeats in his mind, and then decides this is a bad idea. Hato isn’t Yuri. Even with what he’s doing now, he will never repeat Yuri’s actions. Yuri enjoyed the blood and the pain; he got off on screams of pain and the look of terror in his victim’s eyes. Hato has justification for hurting this girl. If he does this, she’ll give him the information Kaito wants. He doesn’t take pleasure from this, so he’s not truly at fault.

Right?

Moving up to her head, Hato slices either side of her face from her ear to her lips. In order to make the cut deep enough, he yanks out her gag. Even without it, she stays quiet except for whines of pain and the occasional spit to get the blood flowing into her mouth out.

Her ear is too thick to just cut off with a single swing, so he has to saw at it, also chopping away at her long, blood-soaked hair. For the first time, Hato notices her earrings. They’re small and were hidden by her hair. Ladybug studs. There has to be a story to them because cute, decorative earrings are banned from Academia. She must have gotten them from one of the other dimensions while out on a mission.

Breaking an Academia rule like that would earn someone a month of detention, including hours upon hours of being the live dummy for physical combat training. It’s impossible that she wasn’t aware of the consequences her action of wearing the earrings would bring. She knew, and yet she did it anyway.

The revelation hits Hato like a punch to a gut. He can remember his own flavor of deviating from the strict rules at Academia. He would steal flowers from the elite garden he wasn’t allowed in sometimes, shove them into his pocket and leave for his dorm. There, he’d examine them and learn from their biology. He too knew that, if caught, he’d be severely punished, yet he did it again and again.

Sometimes it was the small acts of rebellion that kept him alive some days. If he could get away with committing a crime, even one so minuscule, then it proved that Academia wasn’t the perfect “true cause” they enjoyed boasting about.

“Hato.” Kaito’s sharp voice brings Hato back to reality.

“I got distracted. It won’t happen again.” Hato doesn’t look back at Kaito, doesn’t want to risk him seeing the cogs in his mind spinning with thoughts and emotions. Hato drops her ear with the cute ladybug earring on it.

He can’t keep doing this. He can’t hurt this girl any more than he already has. She’s just like him; born in a difficult situation and forced to do terrible things to keep herself safe. She would have been killed even if she did snitch out her friends, and her name would be soiled. Perhaps she has family back home who could be prosecuted if she became a traitor. Perhaps she sees Kaito and Hato for what they truly are: monsters.

With a swift movement, Hato slits the girls’ throat, slashing the jugular. Blood squirts onto all three of them, and the girl is alive for long enough to widen her eyes in shock, and then she’s gone from this world.

“Hato!” Kaito grabs the back of Hato’s jacket and yanks him back, wrestling the knife out of his hands before he can do any more damage. Hato falls back onto the floor, Kaito’s steel-toed boots on his chest. Kaito is smaller than him, but they both know he can beat Hato in a fight. He doesn’t even bother trying to get up.

“What the hell was that?” He doesn’t even sound angry, just cool and calm. He kneels down, still half on top of Hato, and gently presses his hand against Hato’s throat.

“She reminded me of Haruto.” It’s a lame excuse and Hato knows it, but he also knows there’s still some form of humanity inside Kaito.

Just at Haruto’s name, Kaito’s body relaxes and he sighs after a second. He lets go of Hato’s neck and backs up. “If she had squealed, we might have been able to save more kids like Haruto, you know.” Kaito shakes his head. “There will be more soldiers like her. We will just have to try again next time. If you disobey me again, you’ll be punished severely. Get cleaned up and return to the others.” Kaito leaves at that, grabbing his bat at the door and walks out of sight.

Hato is left alone on the ground with the girl’s body next to him.

In a way, he wishes Kaito had killed Hato to get things over with.


	5. Amputation

  1. **Amputation**



“Please don’t do this,” Hato whispers, “I – I’m your friend.”

Kaito’s frigid eyes stare into his soul. “Then prove it. As long as you’re able to duel, you will forever be a Fusions warrior.” He pauses and pushes Hato’s bangs out of his eyes, his voice turning soft. “Is that what you want? To be someone else’s puppet?”

Hato shakes his head. “I don’t want anyone to ever hurt me ever again,” he sobs, no longer able to hold back the tears. “I thought you were going to help me.” His body shakes and he pulls his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around himself and burying his face into his knees.

“I am going to help you, but first you must help yourself. You’re going to have to be strong and break ties with Academia. Can you do that?”

Hato sniffles and looks up. He scrubs away his tears with the sleeve of his jacket. “I – I will be strong.”

He is handed the scissors. Hato doesn’t understand. “What? I thought you were going to do it.”

Kaito shakes his head, an unkind smile on his face. “You must save yourself, Hato. Cut the strings that bind you to evil; repent for your sins and your soul shall be set free.”

Hato can’t stop shaking. He stares at the scissors. He knows what he must do. Follow Kaito’s will or die. There are no other options; he will not continue to be a weapon. “Will it hurt?” He already knows the answer.

“Yes, but you know it’s what you must do. You know it’s what you deserve. Cut the strings, Hato.” Kaito’s voice is getting impatient. Hato must act now.

Hato opens up the scissors and slides his right little finger in at the joint closest to his hand. He closes the scissors. His little finger drops into his lap, blood squirting out of it. Hato’s mind goes fuzzy from the pain, but he can do this. Kaito takes his hand and wraps gauze around it to stop the bleeding.

The ring finger is next and it goes just as quickly. Hato can’t help the little whimper that escapes his lips, and Kaito shushes him as he wraps it.

This is what he must do. This is what he must do. Hato repeats those words and continues, the middle finger coming off clean. He catches a glimpse of bone peeking out between the tendons and muscles. He almost loses it and nearly retches right there. He has to stay strong. If he can’t prove to Kaito that he’s willing, then Kaito will kill him and move on with his life. Hato can’t let that happen.

He can’t feel the pain of his index finger because his entire hand is burning. Hato tries to give the scissors back to Kaito, but he shakes his head. “The thumb too.” His words leave no room for argument.

Hato nods numbly and tries to still his hands enough to get his thumb into position. He grips the handle and the blades cut into either side of his thumb, slicing through flesh and stopping at the bone.

“It – it won’t,” Hato sobs, but he’s unable to finish his sentence. Kaito takes Hato’s hands in his and together they finish the act. The bone crunches, shattering instead of popping clean off. Hato screeches from the pain and Kaito backs away, leaving him shaking and crying. He can’t watch as Kaito bandages the last of his fingers.

“Do you feel regret for your sins?” Kaito’s voice is the voice of God, and Hato is his Lamb.

“Yes.”

“Then tell me what you have done.”

Hato tears his sight away from his disfigured hand up to Kaito. Light shines down from a cracked window, illuminating Kaito from behind. He looks heavenly, and Hato knows he made the right choice. He bows his head. “I have killed people and I have made their deaths more painful than necessary. I have betrayed my family…”

“They’re no longer your family,” Kaito corrects. “I’m your family now.”

**[bad end]**


	6. Cannibalism

  1. **Cannibalism**



 

“Hato, when was the last time you had meat?” Kaito asks, staring down at the soldier sprawled out on the ground. He’s younger than either of them, his uniform absorbing the blood leaking out from the dent in his head. His eyes are wide open, staring forever at nothing.

Hato counts the days on his fingers. “Hmm, it had to be around that time Kisei and Kikuo sneaked out since they brought back a couple of rats. So… A month ago? Two months ago?” He guesses, dropping his arms and shrugging.

Kaito shakes his head. “No, only the kids ate that. There wasn’t enough for everyone,” he reminds Hato. “When was the last time you or I had meat?”

“Since last yeah, I suppose, when you caught that dog with the broken leg.” He doesn’t see the point of this; there are no animals anywhere in sight, and thinking about food won’t make it appear. If anything, it will just remind them that both Kaito and Hato have been surviving off nothing but boiled bamboo shoots and foul smelling water for the past week and a half

Kaito doesn’t respond immediately, continuing to stare down at the Fusion boy. Flies have begun to close in, buzzing around his head and landing in his thick black hair. It won’t be long before the smell of blood and death attracts bigger scavengers such as birds, or worse, the pack of dogs that frequent this area. Hato and Kaito are both good fighters, but there’s only so much they can do against desperate animals.

Hato shifts on his feet, vigilant as always for any sign of life among the decrepit buildings and waits for Kaito’s signal to continue moving. He’s becoming restless standing here out in the open with a dead body at their feet.

Kaito kneels down to unstrap the soldier’s duel disk. He fiddles with the back, popping it open and removing the tracking chip. It’s too small to snap with his fingers, so he sets it down on the tarmac and taps it with the tip of his metal bat until it breaks. He shoves the duel disk in his pack.

“You trust me, right?” Kaito asks, and Hato is stunned at the question. Rarely does Kaito doubt himself or even ask for Hato’s input about ideas. Hato has never minded this; Kaito has survived out here far longer than he has.

“With my life,” Hato answers, meaning it completely. He owes Kaito everything, and even if they’re partners in this, Hato will never forget the things Kaito has done for him.

“Take out that plastic bag you always carry.” It’s for emergencies, but Hato does as requested. He opens them and holds them out for Kaito, not blinking when Kaito unsheathes his knife to cut open the soldier’s shirt.

Kaito gives a final, almost hesitant, glance back at Hato and gives a warning. “I’ve never done this before. It’s going to get messy.” He cuts into the soldier’s chest. The boy was already dead so he didn’t bleed like normal, but as Kaito hacks, the body does begin to leak. Kaito should be using gloves, Hato thinks to himself, but he keeps it to himself. They deal with blood all the time.

Kaito soon hits the ribs and sternum. “Which organs are safe to eat?” Hato asks. He knows about animal organs, but would human ones be different? Kaito only shrugs, then gestures to Hato to move closer with the bag. Kaito hasn’t broken the ribs yet; instead, he digs under them with his hands.

The work is gruesome, but Kaito pulls out a few squishy-looking organs and deposits them into the bag. They’re heavy, which means they’re full of meat. Kaito stops after harvesting something that looks like a liver and a kidney.

“We’ll test them on ourselves first before giving them to the kids,” Kaito says, wiping his hands and knife on a clean patch of the soldier’s clothes. “Just in case we get sick or something.”

“We’re going to also have to come up with an explanation on how we’ve found meat after so long.” Hato knows this isn’t going to be a single occurrence. If they find that they can eat this okay, then it’ll be another source of food.

It’s… unmoral and wrong, but it’ll prevent the hunger pains and eventual starvation.

They’re becoming more and more like monsters every day that passes.

(Perhaps Academia is right about them.)


	7. Monster Form

He can feel it inside him, the anger and hatred and rage swirling and bubbling and overflowing. He can’t control it, though for years now he’s pretended that he could. He just can’t help it. They’re the monsters, he thinks, they deserve pain and punishment for what they have done.

He tries not to remember that not long ago, he was one of them too, a child soldier with a mission to slaughter all in his path. And he was successful at it too. He can’t count how many people, human beings with hopes and dreams and lives, he sliced down. The thrill of the horror in their eyes, of the last shreds of willpower fleeing their body and they realize that they aren’t going to survive this.

It hasn’t left him. Still he craves the pain of others. He wants his enemies to suffer for what they are. Even after he left that horrible place, even after he was adopted into this new family, even after he was told that he doesn’t have to kill if he doesn’t want to. It hasn’t left him. He wants to go out to the battlefield to fight every day. He says it’s because there are people he wants to protect, but he can see his own lies.

Hato once told him about nature versus nurture. While he and the other ex-soldiers were trained into believing that killing was natural and should even be rewarded, Kisei knows this is in his blood. He’s never met his parents, but he knows. There’s no other explanation why he’s consumed by the bloodlust while the others have learned to move on from the terrible things they’ve witnessed.

He’s learned that there’s no fighting what he truly is, so he will embrace it and become stronger. He will be the judge, the jury, and the executioner if it means he’s able to steal one more life. He desires the blood on his hands. He loves the taste of destroying those who are evil.

And, in his haste to kill the soldiers that threaten his and his friends’ lives, perhaps he too has become a monster.


	8. Emaciation

He can’t feel his fingers despite knowing they’re directly in front of him. His hands shake; he has no control over them. He brings his hands closer to his mouth and breathes hot air onto them. It doesn’t work, and he wiggles them.

“Why don’t you try getting up and moving? Get the blood flowing.” Haruto’s teeth chatter and his voice is muffled because his face is pressed against Hato’s chest.

“Too sleepy,” Hato mumbles. He doesn’t tell Haruto that he has no energy to move because he hasn’t eaten in over a three days. Haruto is mature for a child his age, but this isn’t something he needs to be hearing. Hato and Kaito have worked hard to ensure that the kids are able to eat in the winter, and if that means they have to skip a few meals, then so be it.

“Hato?”

“Huh?” Hato wraps his arms around Haruto, keeping him close. It’s difficult with the thick, padded coat Haruto’s wearing, but Hato wants to make sure he stays cozy warm.

“Can you go check on Big Brother? I haven’t seen him in a while.” Haruto buries his face into Hato’s chest again, then backs away.

“Okay, if it makes you feel better.” Hato pulls the thin blanket off them and sits up. “But, I want you to go and be with Kisei and Kikuo. It’s too cold for you to be here by yourself. You too, Aida, Tsugumi.” The two behind Hato grumble but sit up as well. He waits for the kids to get up and shuffle over the other group of children.

It’s difficult for him to climb to his feet, and when he does, he feels an immediate rush of dizziness and nausea. The years spent at Academia has trained him to keep a straight face no matter what physical discomfort he’s experiencing, and he’s grateful for it. It’s too easy to smoothly walk to the door, ignoring the groans when he opens it and lets in the cold air, and to go to the place Hato suspects Kaito is hiding.

The main section is open and frigid. It’s where the group usually spends the most time in the summer, but as it’s easier to keep warm huddling in a back room, all of their important belongings have been moved. It’s empty, and the sight sends goosebumps down Hato’s arms. He’s had nightmares about this room before, of the children slaughtered in their sleep and left bleeding on the wooden floors. Despite just leaving the other kids, Hato has to remind himself that everyone is safe.

Kaito is sitting against the far wall. His eyes are closed, but he peeks them open when Hato draws closer. “Is there something wrong with the kids?” Kaito’s voice cracks from disuse. Hato sits next to Kaito and wraps the edge of Kaito’s thin blanket around himself.

“They’re mostly sleeping. Haruto was worried about you. Why don’t you move back with me?” Hato speaks softly out of habit. It’s doubtful anyone will hear them, but he enjoys the quiet and doesn’t want to ruin it.

“No, I need to keep watch.” Kaito is stubborn if anything. “You should return to the kids and try to keep warm.” He doesn’t look at Hato, preferring to stare at nothing instead.

Hato sighs and feels for Kaito’s hands under the blanket, Kaito still ignoring him. Kaito has them between his thighs to keep them from freezing, and Hato pulls them away so he can hold them. If Hato’s hands are cold, then Kaito’s are made of pure ice.

“You can’t even feel it anymore, can you?” Hato asks gently, “The cold. You’ve been out here so long you’ve become used to it.” When Kaito doesn’t respond, Hato continues. “When was the last time you’ve eaten? I haven’t seen you when I pass out food to the children.”

Kaito grunts, not a good sign. “Kaito… you know this isn’t healthy, right? If you continue like this, you’re going to eventually die…” Hato lets go of one of his hands and begins poking and prodding at him. Kaito’s thick clothes protect him from Hato, but even still, Hato can feel how sharp his elbows and knees have become, and parts of Kaito’s pelvic bone juts out. Hato realizes for the first time how rough a shape Kaito is in. Even he isn’t this boney.

“The kids need the food more than I do.”

“Don’t pull that bullshit on me,” Hato snaps. “We both know there’s a difference between skipping a few meals and what you’re doing.”

“I’m no longer certain this is a life worth living.” It’s something Hato understands well, but it still makes his heart drop. He knew this was to be expected from Kaito; even the strongest of men have a breaking point. It’s a thought that has consumed Hato for years, no matter how much his life has changed or how much he tries to push through it.

“I understand what you’re going through,” Hato says and squeezes Kaito’s hands. He’s still irritated with Kaito, but he forces himself to calm down.

“How are you still here?” Kaito shakes his head. “The first time we met, you asked me to kill you.”

Hato doesn’t need to be reminded of it. “At the time, all I could think about was getting away from Academia. If you weren’t going to help me, then I knew they’d find me and take me back. Death was an escape.” It still is, but Hato doesn’t tell Kaito this. Kaito doesn’t need to know that Hato will end his own life if Academia ever tries to take him again.

“Have your feelings changed?”

“No, they haven’t. My feelings haven’t changed, but… the circumstances have. I am no longer alone. I have a responsibility to you and the kids, and I can’t abandon either of you. As long as my heart still beats, I will fight to keep the kids from suffering the same experiences as me. I kill so they won’t have to. I will do anything to keep them safe.” Hato smiles and shakes his head. “If my old classmates could see me now, they’d say I lost everything by betraying Academia. But in reality, I’ve gained so much.”

Kaito doesn’t speak for a long moment, but that’s okay. Hato waits for him to collect his thoughts. “I used to think that way too. I was on medication before the invasion, and I fought off the withdrawal by repeatedly telling myself that I’m all Haruto has. It worked for a long time, but then I fell into such a mundane routine and the days began to blur together. I kept fighting because I was the one thing in between the children and death. And then the years went by and you came along.

“The kids are older now. They can survive on their own; I’ve taught them all I know. And you’re there looking out for them. Even if I were to leave, you will all survive. I no longer have to feel any guilt of abandoning you all.” Kaito sighs and leans his head against Hato’s shoulder. Hato stiffens up; physical contact is normal in life or death situations, but this feels different. He can’t remember the last time Kaito sought him out for comfort.

“Are you angry at me for thinking of leaving you behind, Hato?”

Hato almost misses the question because it’s so soft. “Yes,” he answers, deciding to say the truth. “I am beyond livid. I wish you had told me sooner so I could be here for you, but.” He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. “What’s done is done, Kaito. I can relate to what you’re going through, and because of that, I can’t blame you for it.

“Kaito, I want to help you. I’m here for you whenever you need me, not just when we’re on the battlefield. I don’t want you to die, but…” Hato pauses and swallows. Kaito squeezes his hand. “It’s not my decision. Ultimately, it’s yours. I won’t stop you from doing what you think is necessary, just know that if you do decide to leave, I will take care of the others in your place. You don’t have to worry about them getting hurt once you’re gone.” He can feel the sensation of tears pathing their way down his face, but Hato doesn’t feel the sadness that would warrant crying. Regardless, he doesn’t know how to make it stop.

“No matter what you choose to do, I’ll respect your decision. As long as it’s a choice you truly wish to make.”

“Thank you,” Kaito whispers.

They sit together in silence for eternity, and as time ticks away, Kaito gradually begins to relax against Hato. Despite the cold and hunger, they both drift off to sleep.


	9. skewered

He doesn’t see it coming. A hand at his shoulder and the small of his back, a single shove, and Kaito is flying in the air. Falling, falling, falling. Dimly, he hadn’t realized how tall the building was. His reflexes aren’t what they used to be, but he manages to see who attacked him. Grey clothes, messy hair. They aren’t even Fusion, the bastard.

Kaito braces for impact but it doesn’t come like he expects it to. Hitting the ground should be like belly flopping into a pool of bricks, not a sharp, ripping pain that shoots up through his spine, up his stomach, out to the other side as a spike enters him. By the time he hits the ground, his velocity has slowed from the friction of sliding down the now bloody spike.

He stares at where the metal leaves his body, his mind too fuzzy from the pain to fully comprehend that he’s been impaled. He tries to sit up, but his entire body screams in agony, and he falls back down. Up above, his attacker looks down on him, then turns and leaves.

Mission complete, Kaito thinks bitterly. He’s not dead yet, but if he can’t get out of this situation, then he’ll be dog food soon. The pole is long, with at least three feet sticking out of him, plus another handful of inches inside him. On the up side, it’s already lubricated with his blood. If he can get his feet under him, he should be able to slide up off it.

He wiggles his toes in his feet and thanks god he still has control and his spine isn’t obviously damaged. He bends his knees and tries to sit up again, reaching up to grab the pole to help him. The slick surface makes it difficult to hold onto, but it’s also gritty from rust. Getting a grip on it, Kaito bites down and forces himself to sit up. It hurts, it hurts, it hurts like hell, the skin around the pole tightening and flexing. He can’t tell if any major muscles have been torn, but his strength is much weaker than normal.

Kaito gets his feet under him and pushes down, his body shaking and shuddering as he pushes it up. Two feet to go. He changes his holding and tries to also pull himself up with his hands, knowing that he can only push so much with his legs before his body will be too angled to keep moving on the pole.

It’s difficult work, and Kaito is forced to take breaks every few minutes to gasp for air and remind himself why he has to do this. The pain is too much and blood leaks out of his body. Once he gets himself off the pole, he’s going to lose even more. It’s going to be a struggle to stagger back to the hideout without attracting any attention, and then he’ll have to get the wound closed.

Even if he makes it back home, there’s no telling he’ll still survive this. But he has to try. He can’t die like this, not when he still needs to protect his family.

It’s with this thought that he begins fighting again, pulling himself up and the pole sliding through him. So close, he’s so close. Only a little more and he’ll be free.

His hands slip, and all of his hard work is or naught. Down he goes, the pole’s jagged bits cutting into him yet again. He gasps for air and tries to work his mind around the pain. He can’t do this, not without help and not after falling so far down.

The dogs will be coming for him soon even if they haven’t caught the scent of the blood yet.

Kaito closes his eyes. He’s had a rough day. Perhaps now he should just sleep.


	10. Decay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Contains eye trauma

Kaito can hear the soft patter of feet heading towards him and he tightens his grip on his baseball bat. He might not be able to see anymore, but he can still swing and do damage to anyone who thinks they can get to him.

“I brought you some food,” Hato’s soft voice calls out in the darkness. “Open your mouth, you need it.”

Kaito wants to complain. He doesn’t need to eat, not when their group is down a man because he’s unable to forage like this. Better to let him waste away while the others do what they can to survive. Instead, Kaito cracks open his mouth because he knows from experience that Hato won’t hesitate to pry it open.

Hato carefully sets a spoonful of rice into his mouth. It’s cold and tasteless on his tongue but he chews and swallows regardless. While Hato scrapes together another spoonful, he tries to make pleasant conversation. “How are your eyes doing?”

“They hurt.” Kaito doesn’t have the patience for kind words. He accepts another bite of rice, anxiety building up in his throat because he knows what’s coming.

There’s a clatter as Hato sets the bowl to the side. “I want to see them.”

Kaito knew this is what was going to happen. He wants to just pretend his eyes never existed at all, try to ignore the pain and continue on with his life. He doesn’t want to bring up the memories of what happened or have Hato poking around inside the cavity.

Hato places a hand on Kaito’s shoulder. It is meant to comfort him but all it does it remind Kaito that Hato could easily overpower him if he desired it. Kaito is by no means powerless, but after becoming so close to him, by now Hato knows all of Kaito’s weak spots.

Kaito gulps. He doesn’t want this at all, but he knows this has to be done. He pushes his bat out of reach and crosses his arms, holding his sides. Hato sighs in relief and shuffles closer. Even without seeing it happen, Kaito can imagine Hato awkwardly trying to find a good position to open Kaito’s eyes. Finally, Hato huffs and get up again to straddle Kaito’s lap.

“Try to stay still, please,” Hato mumbles. Feather-light fingers brush against his face before caressing his right eyelid. Kaito grits his teeth as Hato peels it open. It burns as his eye touches air after so long, but he still can’t see. “Huh.”

“Describe it to me.”

“You sure you want me to?” Hato’s breath ghosts against his face. Kaito hadn’t realized he moved so close, but he suspects Hato is leaning close to inspect his eye. “It stinks like rot. It doesn’t look like an eye should, I can see your iris but it’s more oval-y than it should be. And the white part is closer to brown. Can you move it at all?”

Kaito focuses. “I’m trying to. Is it doing anything?”

“Not at all.” Hato pulls back. “Do you think it’s safe to leave in? Here, let me look at the other one.” Hato peels back Kaito’s other eyelid. There’s a sharp intake of breath and Hato’s nose bumps against Kaito’s. “This doesn’t look good at all. You said before that your left eye feels fine?”

“Yes.”

“Well, it kind of looks like it’s rotting.” Hato lets the eyelid drop. “I think I should cut out both of your eyes.” He says it so casually that Kaito would have rolled his eyes if he still had control over them.

“We don’t have the supplies to stop the bleeding or clean the wound, Hato.” Kaito doesn’t point this out because he wants Hato to back off. He knows that he just has to say no and Hato will drop the topic and let Kaito suffer in pain.

“No, but we also don’t have anything that will stop an infection. You can’t use your eyes anyway, might as well take them out before something else goes bad because of it.” Hato pats his shoulder. “Why don’t you at least think about it?”

Hato gets up and collects the empty bowl. He’s halfway out the door before Kaito speaks up.

“We’ll do it tonight after the kids go to sleep. Bring something for me to bite down on.”

“What do I tell Kisei and Kikuo?” Hato’s voice is soft. Kaito can practically hear the cogs in his mind spinning.

“The truth. Have them make sure none of the kids wander in.” The last thing he wants is for someone to catch Hato digging out Kaito’s eyes. They already have enough problems getting people to trust Hato despite his background.

“Understood.”

Kaito wakes to someone shaking his shoulder. His mind is dizzy and lucid from sleep but he can still understand what “Are you sure about this?” is referring to.

“Yes.” He doesn’t have the patience for Hato to dilly dally, not when soon he’ll be pulling out Kaito’s eyes.

“Okay. Drink this and then lie down.” Hato sets what feels like a cup into Kaito’s hands.

Kaito gulps down the liquid, ignoring the burn in the back of his throat and the revolting taste of alcohol. “Where’d you get this from?” From what he can remember, they traded away their last bottle of alcohol months ago in exchange for some cold medicine for one of the children. Kaito crawls forward and the lies back against the solid concrete ground as requested.

“I haggled a can of peaches for it. That’s all there was so I got robbed but… Hopefully, it’ll help this move quicker.” Hato sets something around Kaito’s neck, a rag or some kind of stiff blanket, and smooths Kaito’s hair back away from his face.

“How are you going to do it?”

“Left eye first, I’ll just try to pull it out with my fingers. If you can’t feel pain in it now, then I doubt you’ll feel me touching it. I don’t know about the right one. You might not want me to mess with it once I’m finished with the left.” Hato explains, peeling back Kaito’s left eyelid.

Kaito grunts his approval. He can already feel the effects of the alcohol doing its job. Hato doesn’t give him a verbal warning, he simply gives Kaito the bit made out of a rag. Hato slides his forefinger into Kaito’s eye socket, followed by his thumb.

As Hato hums a tune, Kaito wonders if he’s done this before or if Academia taught him how to take out an enemy’s eye. He can’t feel Hato’s fingers working against his eye per say, but his eye cavity sill experiences the sense of touch, and Hato’s fingers bump and brush against it.

“Your eye is… hmm. It doesn’t feel solid, more like reptile eggs before they’ve hardened. And, it stinks. I’m pulling it out now.” Hato narrates. Kaito grips his bit. It doesn’t hurt, but he can feel a strange sensation of something being tugged. “This is really gross. There’s still, ugh. Stringy things are still attached to it.”

Kaito suddenly remembers how young Hato is. Here is he is, letting a kid mess with his organs, gods have mercy on him.

“I’m going to have to cut them. Three, two…” Before Hato counts down to one, a sharp pain blooms across Kaito’s face. “You’re biting pretty hard, you okay? There’s not much bleeding, so hopefully it will clot soon and it won’t get infected.” There’s a pause, and Kaito can hear Hato’s breath as he leans closer again.

Again, Hato’s finger enters his eye, curling against the back and dragging it up. By now, Kaito can smell the reek of decay and it doesn’t take a genius to realize his eye was rotting. Hato repeats the action a few time, making noises of disgust from the back of his throat.

Finally, he sits back. A swish of water suggests he’s rinsing off his hands. Hato removes the rag from Kaito’s mouth. “How are you doing?”

“Drunk,” Kaito answers and Hato laughs. A damp rag circles Kaito’s eye, cleaning it of any blood and grime.

“Good, then you’ll sleep well tonight.” Hato pats his cheek and helps him sit back up. “I think this will be it for the night. If I have to stick my finger into your eye one more time, I’m going to vomit.” Despite his words, Hato doesn’t sound sickly at all.

“We can see how it heals before you can proceed with the other.” Kaito stands by himself and begins heading for where the door is. Before he can leave, Hato presses cloth into his hand.

“If you think you start bleeding more than usual, find me. The kids will have nightmares for weeks if they see you squirting out blood.”


	11. Manslaughter/Serial Killer

“You know what you’ve become, don’t you?”

Hato shakes his head, not wanting to listen. He knows what’s coming, knows the terrible accusations that will be made about him, but he has to stay strong. They’re lies; they’re all lies meant to tear him down and shatter his mind. He’s nothing but a puzzle, and the prize is breaking him.

“No? Are you so caught up in your little fantasy that you’re unable to tell what’s real and what’s false?”

Hato shakes his head again, this time squeezing his eyes shut. It’s not true. It’s not true. He had every reason to do what he’s done. He’s not the one at fault, they are.

“Murderer.”

He doesn’t want to believe it. It was out of self-defense; they would have hurt him or worse if he hadn’t. He regrets every drop of blood he’s ever spilled, but he had no other choice.

“That’s what you are, Hato. A murderer. How many innocents have you struck down in your quest for glory? How many families are missing their children, siblings, and parents because of you?”

No, that’s not true. It can’t be. They were all robots, programmed to kill and destined to ruin the universe. Hato had no other choice. He had to destroy them before it was too late.

“Look at me when I’m speaking!”

When he opens his eyes, there’s a pieces of paper on the table in front of him. His arms are chained to the chair, but he doesn’t need them to see the full extent of the page.

“Read it.”

Names. Hundreds of them, all in small rows with their ages beside them. Hato recognizes some of them, while others are unknown. Even without knowing all of them, Hato understands what this list is.

“Those are my victims.”

**[bad end]**


	12. Animal/Beast Wounds

Never before has Haruto feared animals so much. When the world was still real and made sense, he had begged his father to get him a puppy or kitten to play with while he was stuck in bed.

He never was given any sort of pet, but now he’s thankful for it. He's seen people try to tame the feral dogs whose territories stretch across the city, insisting that since they had a loyal dog before, they can domesticate these ones. They are always wrong.

Haruto knows better than to risk an encounter with the pack. Kaito has brought him up well and Hato has taught him how to get to high ground at the first sign of danger. Haruto is trained to tackle this decrepit world, and with survival always on the line, he often ventures out into the unknown.

Right now, he’s searching for firewood. While bamboo grows thick between the cracks in the streets, it doesn’t provide the necessary heat needed for the winter months. Already the nights are growing longer, and though their stores of bamboo are plentiful, Kaito decided that they were going to need more tree wood.

There used to be trees in Heartland, but then the survivors cut them down. A few saplings have grown back, but… Chopping down a tree would require him to stand out in the open while making loud noises. He’d attract attention for sure. A much safer method is to ransack buildings for wood-based furniture.

Haruto is just a scout. Kaito would never allow him to try to lug a table or desk back to headquarters, but what Haruto can do is quickly search through buildings and mark down the ones with useful items on his map. Later, the older, stronger kids will stop by to collect the wood.

Not many would consider this to be fun work, but Haruto is an exception. He was only eight when the invasion struck, and to be honest, he doesn’t remember much of before. Wandering through people’s houses, going through people’s lives… It allows Haruto to pretend everything is right in the world, if only for a handful of minutes before he must move again.

Haruto flips through an old photo book. There are no names written on the back of the pictures like some families do, so Haruto makes up names. Two roommates lived in the small house, Haruto calls them Momo and Mei, with four pet cats. They loved their cats very much because they often took pictures of them. Haruto supposes that if he had a working camera, he’d also take pictures of the things he loves, such as Kaito and the rest of his makeshift family.

It’s time to leave. Haruto returns to picture book to the arms of Mei’s skeleton and jots down the building’s location on his map. The majority of the house has already been raided, but the bedroom where the owners will sleep forever is dusty but in pristine condition. Like the others who have wandered into the house, Haruto will respect the dead and leave their final resting place alone. There are other, more empty, buildings to scavenge.

Haruto packs up his map and leaves, shutting the door to the bedroom behind him so no animals can find their way in. Down the steps he goes, and then he’s back on the broken tarmac. By now, the setting sun is blocked by skyscrapers, a good hint that Haruto needs to head home for the night.

He didn’t make much headway today, but once it gets dark out, it’ll be nearly impossible to see inside houses without a light source, and Haruto has none. He’s only a day scout, after all, so there’s no point in him carrying anything like that.

He hears the dogs before he sees them. Haruto jumps at the sound of barks and yips. They’ve caught the trail of something, and he better get out of their way before he becomes their new target. The street he’s in is lined with houses, but Haruto doesn’t dare risk barging into one of them without knowing what’s in it first.

There’s an old park a block away with rusted old monkey bars that he could climb onto. It’s not the best option, but it’s the first thing his mind jumps to, and Haruto goes for it. He takes off, his arms holding onto his backpack straps just in case they decide to snap now, The barking grows louder and louder, but Haruto doesn’t waste time by glancing back to see if the dogs have caught sight of him.

The park is void of life when he reaches it. He locates the money bars and pulls himself up on top of the high row of bars, sitting so that his legs are up with him instead of dangling down. It isn’t much longer until he sees the pack of dogs.

Ten dark spots rush into view from multiple angles, the closest one only a yard or two away from the human running from them. Without the twists and turns of alleyways and obstacles in the roads, nothing stops the dogs from going full speed and nipping the person on his heels. The person trips and rolls, blood spraying from their now torn Achilles tendon. They try to stand again, but the dogs are on them before they are able to get away.

Haruto watches in horrified awe as a dog bites into the person’s abdomen and pulls, splitting the shirt and skin underneath it, revealing slimy intestines. The person screams and kicks, but the other dogs bite into their arms and legs. Some have already begun devouring their catch before one finally rips open the human’s throat.

The dogs make short work of their meal, growling and barking at each other as they tear the meat off the bones. And then they’re gone, just like that, trotting back into the thick of the city. They leave blood, bones, and what the person was carrying on him. By the morning, the vultures will have found the kill and begun picking the bones clean.

Once he’s sure the pack is gone, Haruto jumps down from the monkey bars. He makes his way over to the corpse and grabs the person’s backpack. He feels guilt over looting a body, but they won’t have any more use for it.

In the dusk, Haruto heads back home, thanking the gods he didn’t have the same fate.


	13. crushed

The first thing he feels is the head-splitting pain and the sound of ragged breathing. It takes him minutes to untangle the mess of thoughts whirling around inside his head, and by then he’s recognized that he’s not the one making the noise. His breath is even, though the air smells stale and dusty.

“Hato, wake up.” Kaito’s voice is soft. He doesn’t shake Hato’s shoulder like he usually does.

Hato cracks open his eyes. It’s dark and he doesn’t recognize where he’s at. It’s not headquarters, nor is it any of the other safe houses. Hato struggles to sit up but he manages. “Kaito… what happened?” He whispers in case they’re not safe. He looks around and tries to make out what’s going on. He doesn’t see Kaito.

“We were searching for supplies and the building we’re in collapsed. You were hit pretty hard on your head and got knocked out.”

“Where are you? I can’t see you.” Panic rises up within him, his throat choking. He pushes up to his feet, only to stumble and land back on his ass. He reaches out for his duel disk on his arm and calms when he finds it there. He taps it until the screen lights up. Hato sees Kaito before Kaito is able to answer him.

Kaito is on the ground, only his head and one shoulder visible. The rest of him is covered up by a chunk of something that appears to be the ceiling. “Hato, I –“ Kaito begins, awkwardly raising his one free arm.

“No! No, I can fix this.” Hato crawls over to him and begins pressing against the ceiling blocks. They’re heavy and jagged, and the edges cut into Hato’s skin. He ignores it and continues pushing.

“Hato, stop.” Kaito coughs, which just urges Hato on even more. Hato doesn’t know much about pressure on the body, but he knows that leaving this be for very long won’t be good. Kaito’s breath is ragged, and there’s no telling if he’s injured anywhere else.

“Hato, listen to me.” Kaito barks and Hato freezes out of instinct. Kaito sounded almost like the teachers back at home. “Hato, it’s too heavy for you. You have to go.” He’s somehow still calm considering the situation.

“I’m not leaving you.” He’s been with Kaito since the beginning; he won’t be able to survive without him. Hato doesn’t know how to be independent, he can’t make the necessary decisions by himself. He needs Kaito. He needs someone to depend on.

“The longer you stay, the higher the chances of both of us being found. Listen to me Hato, someone is bound to have heard the roof collapse and will be on their way to see what happened.”

Hato shakes his head. “Then I’ll fight them off.”

“And what about the kids,” Kaito hisses, narrowing his eyes. He reaches out again and this time catches Hato’s arm. He doesn’t have the strength to pull Hato closer, but Hato moves willingly, sitting down next to Kaito. Kaito threads his fingers between Hato’s to the best of his ability. “The kids won’t be able to survive without us, Hato. They need you.”

“I can’t let you die,” Hato says and then sobs. His eyes burn as tears begin slipping down his face. “Why is it that after I’ve stolen so many lives, the one person who I want beside me is taken away?” He knows he’s being selfish, knows that he shouldn’t mourn for Kaito before he’s dead, but Hato can’t help it.

Kaito squeezes Hato’s hand. He must be experiencing incredible amounts of pain at the moment, but none of it shows on his face. His expression is soft and it reminds Hato of how Kaito looks at Haruto sometimes. “I’m sorry I can’t continue to be there for you. You’re stronger than you think, Hato. You can survive this.”

Hato shakes from his sobs, no longer caring enough to keep quiet. “Th-thank you for everything. I’ll never forget you. You’re the closest thing to family I have ever had.” It all comes out in a rush, and though Hato wants to say more, he knows time is running out.

“Dry your tears and keep moving forward. Take care of Haruto and the others for me.” Kaito lets go of his hand to run his finger over Hato’s cheek, smearing his tears. He drops his arm quickly as if just stretching was too much for him.

“I won’t let anything hurt them.” Hato rises, knowing that he has to leave now or he’ll never go. He doesn’t look back. He must stay strong and live, even if things will be difficult

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Please remember to leave a comment and kudos~


End file.
